Preview R1: Changes for 2025

[Cromulant]

I agree to an extent. I think our depth is quite unbalanced though

We have a lot of midfield depth. Berry, Schoenberg, Dowling, Taylor, Jones, even Edwards

We have pretty strong defensive cover with Butts and Borlase as backups, plus Bond, Ryan and one of Milera or Nankervis won't play

Our forward depth is really weak. Our backups are Burgess, a raw Toby Murray, an even rawer Welsh. Any one of them is likely to be quite a downgrade on our AFL players. Then our small/medium depth is Pedlar and... well Murphy should never play again and we've got Cook.

Three injuries to defense and I'd be pretty comfortable calling up Butts, Bond and Milera to do a job.

Three injuries to the forward line and we're calling up Burgess, Pedlar and... Cook? Murphy? Playing a mid as a forward?

Reckon we need to draft a developing small forward, could probably do with another outside mid/half forward flank and without Walker our tall forward stocks are looking thin

That front half has been a strong point for a while, but it does look a bit thin on the ground now. Luckily most of them are young, but we'll need to keep an eye on that.

Lets not let it spiral like we have with the ruck situation.

 

[1970crow]

Apologies for the intrusion. What's the go with Dowling? Thought he looked the goods when given an opportunity last year. Footy smarts, could get the ball. Are there questions on disposal? Or is he just paying his dues in the SANFL?

The memory of game day performances for young kids that got a crack through injury have a half life of about a month after the season concludes. So by end of February, we have a 1.5% recall of how that player went at AFL level.

 

[PoholkMe10]

Apologies for the intrusion. What's the go with Dowling? Thought he looked the goods when given an opportunity last year. Footy smarts, could get the ball. Are there questions on disposal? Or is he just paying his dues in the SANFL?

Based on the pre-season line-ups, Jones and Dowling appear to be next in line behind Cumming and Sholl for a spot on the wing. Long term can see Cumming shifting back and Dowling taking the wing spot but it wont be this year.

 

[Tex Danger]

Predicted Matthew Nicks round 1 side

B Worrell - Murray - Michalanney
HB Hinge - Keane - Laird

R O'Brien - Dawson - Rankine
C Cumming - Crouch - Sholl

HF Rachele - Fogarty - Neal-Bullen
F Walker - Thilthorpe - Keays

I Peatling - Soligo - Curtin - Milera
S Draper

E Nankervis - Pedlar - Bond - Murphy

This seems to be the side Nicks is angling towards

Agree that’s the way it’s been looking but think nank played his way in ahead of Milera last night

Draper I agree they look to be priming as sub (they literally trained him for that role last night) but he could force their hand. Wouldn’t be opposed to him swapping with Curtin based on last night and team balance

 

[crows dude]

Apologies for the intrusion. What's the go with Dowling? Thought he looked the goods when given an opportunity last year. Footy smarts, could get the ball. Are there questions on disposal? Or is he just paying his dues in the SANFL?

Peatling, Cumming and ANB is your answer.

 

[1970crow]

I agree to an extent. I think our depth is quite unbalanced though

We have a lot of midfield depth. Berry, Schoenberg, Dowling, Taylor, Jones, even Edwards

We have pretty strong defensive cover with Butts and Borlase as backups, plus Bond, Ryan and one of Milera or Nankervis won't play

Our forward depth is really weak. Our backups are Burgess, a raw Toby Murray, an even rawer Welsh. Any one of them is likely to be quite a downgrade on our AFL players. Then our small/medium depth is Pedlar and... well Murphy should never play again and we've got Cook.

Three injuries to defense and I'd be pretty comfortable calling up Butts, Bond and Milera to do a job.

Three injuries to the forward line and we're calling up Burgess, Pedlar and... Cook? Murphy? Playing a mid as a forward?

Reckon we need to draft a developing small forward, could probably do with another outside mid/half forward flank and without Walker our tall forward stocks are looking thin

I cannot for the life of me understand how Tyler Welsh went from prospective top 10 pick to raw draftee in the space of a few months. In terms of cover for tall forwards, I think we can afford to lose Fog, Tex or Curtin before we look to who's next in. Only TT would need to be immediately replaced due to the need for a chop out ruck. If the injury is to a smaller player, I'm happy to run any of Pedlar, Dowling, Taylor or Schoey and maybe ANB doesn't work as far up the ground.

 

[Geoffa32]

I'd have Jones ahead of Milera and Smithers. I don't think he's going to get a look in on a wing and he was pretty good behind the ball. I think we forget that he was good enough back there to progress to a wing where he was also pretty good, but not since injury. And I'd also play that Oscar Ryan kid ahead of Smithers and it'd be touch and go whether I'd play him ahead of Milera. Would depend on how critical the 4 points are, even then, it's still going to be a close call.

I forgot about Jones and Oscar.

And agree



I don't see the value in playing any of Laird/Milera/Smithers and even Jones in these roles.


Bond is probably the easy one to drop. But his defensive/stopping ability is important. Especially given a few teams are now going with more Small Forwards.

 

[JPetro83]

Predicted Matthew Nicks round 1 side

B Worrell - Murray - Michalanney
HB Hinge - Keane - Laird

R O'Brien - Dawson - Rankine
C Cumming - Crouch - Sholl

HF Rachele - Fogarty - Neal-Bullen
F Walker - Thilthorpe - Keays

I Peatling - Soligo - Curtin - Milera
S Draper

E Nankervis - Pedlar - Bond - Murphy

This seems to be the side Nicks is angling towards

Nicks is crazy if he plays Milera over Nank and i dont like the idea of giving Draper his first game as the sub.
Id be starting Laird as the sub

 

[whitey_1975]

Nicks is crazy if he plays Milera over Nank and i dont like the idea of giving Draper his first game as the sub.
Id be starting Laird as the sub

Yep get him used to being sub or SANFL

 

[whitey_1975]

Apologies for the intrusion. What's the go with Dowling? Thought he looked the goods when given an opportunity last year. Footy smarts, could get the ball. Are there questions on disposal? Or is he just paying his dues in the SANFL?

Should be in our team, Nix is a dunce. Young talent here have to jump thru so many hoops it ain't funny. Unless your a top 10 pick and even then......

 

[GameofSloanes]

The depth chart for the position Laird occupies is

Michalanney
Nank
Hinge
Bond
Laird
Milera
Smithers


Can really only have four in the 22.

IMO Laird is now fifth in this list.

I'd have him 4th, 5th if milera plays a month of good footy in the sanfl

 

[weekend at bernies]

Nicks is crazy if he plays Milera over Nank and i dont like the idea of giving Draper his first game as the sub.
Id be starting Laird as the sub

Id rather Milera and Nank over Laird.

 

[Jetwa5h]

This is what id like to see ..................


F - Thilthorpe, Walker, Rachele
HF - Fogarty, Neale-Bullen, Keays
Mid - Dawson, Crouch, Cumming
HB - Nankervis, Hinge, Michalanney
B - Worrell, Murray, Keane
Ruck - ROB, Soligo, Rankine
Int - Draper, Peatling, Curtin, Ryan
Sub - Bond

Wouldnt mind seeing Dawson moved out to a wing in more of a Gulden type role, with his marking could be a great link and deliver type. Bond in case anyone gets of the leash, Rachelle to give Rankine a chop out from time to time

 

[Adecagodelphalaide]

B: Worrell - Keane - Michalanney
HB: Hinge - Murray - Milera
C: Cumming - Dawson - Soligo
HF: Neal-Bullen - Fogarty - Keays
FF: Rachele - Walker - Thilthorpe
R: O'Brien - Crouch - Rankine
I: Laird (Back) - Nankervis (Wing/Back/Utility) - Draper (Mid) - Peatling (Mid/Forward)
S: Curtin/Pedlar

It's really tricky, would like to see Pedlar in there after the Brisbane pre-season effort, and would hate to be back to vesting Curtin. Draper just looked too good though (also not a fan of a debut vest).

Big one for me is rather than it always being Nank vs Milera, could we do both? Nank onto the wing off the bench to spell Soligo into the mid rotation. Maybe off the bat it's just Nank off HB to get Curtin into the side, but eventually would love to get the silkiness of Nank and Milera both in there.

 

[cleanhands]

Can I be he first, when our first round side is selected
SACK NICK’S NOW

 

[Coopers]

That front half has been a strong point for a while, but it does look a bit thin on the ground now. Luckily most of them are young, but we'll need to keep an eye on that.

Lets not let it spiral like we have with the ruck situation.

It's strong because the talent in the incumbents is huge.

However it's not deep, the guys behind the incumbents are a ways off.

 

[MsTopG]

Post Brisbane match round 1 team

Michalanney Keane Worrell
Hinge Murray Cumming
Curtin Dawson Peatling
ANB Thilthorpe Keays
Walker Fogarty Rachele

ROB Soligo Rankine

Draper Nankervis Crouch Bond

Sub: Pedlar/Sholl

 

[dogs105]

Can I be he first, when our first round side is selected
SACK NICK’S NOW

*NICKS

 

[JTGroove]

Remember Laird was AA prior to 666. Played the spare 7th which even Brent Reilly looked good in for half of that one season. Not sure that role is as relevant now.

 

[Fax]

B: Hinge - Murray - Michalanney
HB: Worrell - Keane - Milera
C: Cumming - Peatling - Soligo
HF: Neal-Bullen - Fogarty - Keays
F: Rachele - Thilthorpe - Walker
R: O’Brien - Dawson - Rankine

Int: Draper, Laird, Crouch, Nankervis
Sub: Curtin

 

[MrBarry]

It's strong because the talent in the incumbents is huge.

However it's not deep, the guys behind the incumbents are a ways off.

Yeah but not many teams have the luxury of fielding a walks, a Curtin, a RT and a Fogarty all at once, I'd say even none. If one of them goes down then we can cover as you don't really need 4 talls....

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

My updated round 1 team...

B: Laird, Murray, Keane
HB: Michaelanny, Worrell, Hinge
C: Cumming, Soligo, Dawson
HF: ANB, Fogarty, Keays
F: Walker, Thilthorpe, Rachele
R: O'Brien, Peatling, Rankine
I: Nankervis, Crouch, Curtin, Draper
Sub: Sholl
E: Bond, Pedlar, Butts

 

[FR0GGY]

*NICKS

NICKS

 

[ams4crows]

Didn’t Draper just prove he’s the perfect sub? Particularly if we are trying to manage his body/workload.

Maybe after his debut game but his debut game he deserves to start and play 4 quarters.

Laird can prove he's a team player a be the sub, tell him at the start of the week and see how he handles the week and the game.

 

[dogs105]

NICKS

NICK